Background: Although the prevalence of older patients in forensic psychiatric services is increasing, research around service provision for this population is very limited. We aimed to gather the views of members of staff on how well secure services are meeting the challenges of an ageing population. Methods: Three focus groups
A Study Into the Severity of Forensic and Civil Inpatient Aggression [2018]
Aggressive incidents occur frequently in health care facilities, such as psychiatric care and forensic psychiatric hospitals. Previous research suggests that civil psychiatric inpatients may display more aggression than forensic inpatients. However, there is a lack of research comparing these groups on the incident severity, even though both frequency and severity
A Behavioral Genetic Analysis of the Cooccurrence Between Psychopathic Personality Traits and Criminal Behavior [2018]
A developed line of research has found that psychopathic personality traits and criminal behavior are correlated with one another. Although there is little question about the association between psychopathic personality traits and criminal behavior, what remains less clear is whether psychopathic traits exert a direct effect on criminal behavior. An
The role of emotion regulation, coping, self‐reflection, and insight in staff interaction with patients with a diagnosis of personality disorder in forensic settings [2018]
Introduction Research is lacking on what determines interaction between staff and patients with a diagnosis of personality disorder in forensic settings. Aim Test whether coping, self‐reflection, insight and emotion regulation are related to the behaviour of staff towards these patients, and test the possible moderating and mediating effect of emotion
Forensic Inpatients with Low IQ and Psychiatric Comorbidities: Specificity and Heterogeneity of Psychiatric and Social Profiles
While the prevalence of mental disorders in people with intellectual disabilities (ID) is well documented, there is less specific literature in the forensic domain. This study sought to clarify the psychiatric and criminological characteristics among Belgian French-speaker forensic inpatients with low IQ and mental health illnesses. To this end, we
Conflicting Priorities Between Risk Management and Treatment of Schizophrenia in Swiss Forensic Services – A Case Report [2018]
The Swiss Criminal Code provides measures for mentally-ill offenders focusing on their need for treatment. This may lead to the deprivation of the patient’s liberty up to several years. Under certain circumstances the mentally-ill offender can be sentenced to an indefinite incarceration. This case presentation we will describe a forensic
The Relation Between Aggression and the Living Group Climate in a Forensic Treatment Unit for Adolescents: A Pilot Study [2017]
In the current study, the associations between inpatient aggression and the living group climate as perceived by the adolescents admitted to a forensic psychiatric treatment unit, are investigated based on carefully registered longitudinal data. Multilevel regression analyses revealed a significant inverse relation between the number and severity of aggressive incidents
On the Link Between Emotionally Driven Impulsivity and Aggression: Evidence From a Validation Study on the Dutch UPPS-P [2017]
The UPPS-P seems to be a promising instrument for measuring different domains of impulsivity in forensic psychiatric patients. Validation studies of the instrument however, have been conducted only in student groups. In this validation study, three groups completed the Dutch UPPS-P: healthy student (N = 94) and community (N =
How Do Forensic Clinicians Decide? A Delphi Approach to Identify Domains Commonly Used in Forensic Juvenile Treatment Planning [2016]
Adolescents in forensic care display wide varieties of complex psychiatric, psychological, and contextual problems. Based on large amounts of information, clinicians need to consider, integrate, and prioritize these offender characteristics to construct individual treatment trajectories. So far, scientific knowledge on how these treatment decisions take place is scarce. Current study
The Use of the State–Trait Anger Expression Inventory–II With Forensic Populations A Psychometric Critique [2015]
The State–Trait Anger Expression Inventory–II (STAXI-II) is a psychometric assessment that measures the experience, expression, and control of anger in research and clinical settings. Although the STAXI-II is extensively used and its psychometric properties supported, no psychometric critique has yet specifically assessed its utility with forensic populations. The aim of
The relationships of classic psychedelic use with criminal behavior in the United States adult population [2017]
Criminal behavior exacts a large toll on society and is resistant to intervention. Some evidence suggests classic psychedelics may inhibit criminal behavior, but the extent of these effects has not been comprehensively explored. In this study, we tested the relationships of classic psychedelic use and psilocybin use per se with
Ethical analysis of a curious event of a forensic case becoming an involuntarily hospitalized psychiatric patient [2018]
It is not uncommon in forensic psychiatry that the duty to care for the patient conflicts with the responsibility to the court, or the duty to protect the public from harm from the potentially dangerous patient-offender. This paper exemplifies the scenario of what happens when the line between forensic and
Evaluating the Introduction of the Safewards Model to a Medium- to Long-Term Forensic Mental Health Ward [2018]
Care and treatment in forensic mental health wards can present with challenges when loss of hope and freedom, and aggression are present, which can then influence ward atmosphere and feelings of safety. Safewards is a model designed to address a range of conflict (e.g., aggression and self-harm) and containment (e.g.,
Evidence-Based Practice in Forensic Mental Health Nursing: A Critical Review [2018]
Method Literature searches of databases, particularly CINAHL, using key phrases were undertaken. Results Some authors argue that there is a lack of evidence in forensic mental health (FMH) nursing, with few randomized controlled trials and other methods providing definitive, generalizable evidence. However, literature searches revealed randomized controlled trials of relevance
“It Had Only Been a Matter of Time Before I Had Relapsed Into Crime” Aspects of Care and Personal Recovery in Forensic Mental Health [2018]
Introduction Forensic psychiatry has the dual task of focusing on the prevention of reoffending as well as maintaining psychiatric rehabilitation. No previous studies addressing the patients’ own views on reducing their risk of serious reoffending were found. Aim This study describes forensic psychiatric inpatients’ own views on what aspects of
Exploration of “Talking Groups” within a medium secure setting [2018]
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore patient and staff views of a new intervention “Talking Groups” within a medium secure setting. Design/methodology/approach Seven patients and eight members of staff who had attended Talking Groups in the medium secure wards participated in semi-structured interviews. Interviews were transcribed and
Comorbid opioid use is undertreated among forensic patients with schizophrenia [2018]
Background Substance use disorders are associated with poorer clinical outcomes in patients with schizophrenia. There is no specific treatment for amphetamine or cannabis use disorder, but methadone and buprenorphine are used as replacement therapy in the treatment of opioid dependence. Our aim was to study whether patients with schizophrenia have
How does evaluator empathy impact a forensic interview? [2018]
We used an experimental design to test the key concern that expressive empathy from evaluators during forensic interviews leads to more disclosure of misbehavior (e.g., stealing, breaking the law, manipulating others) from evaluees. In the context of a psychopathy assessment interview, evaluees (N = 94, 100% male, 57.4% Caucasian) interviewed
Diagnosis and treatment of ASD in women in secure and forensic hospitals [2018]
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the experience and possibilities for misdiagnosis of women with ASD in secure and forensic hospitals, via the medium of a lived experience case study. To consider the clinical value of the patient perspective of and insight into their disorder. The case
Use of Restraint and Seclusion in Psychiatric Settings: A Literature Review [2018]
The purpose of the current literature review was to critically review studies related to the use of restraint and seclusion in psychiatric settings across cultures, identify ethical principles regarding restraint and seclusion, and generate a clear view about patients’ perspectives and factors that influence use of these measures worldwide. Use